Artwork
Portrait of an artist
Portrait of an artist is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Gerard van Honthorst. It dates from 1655 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Produced by Gerard van Honthorst in 1655, the work belongs to the genre of portraiture and is held in the Rijksmuseum.
The painting depicts an artist, as indicated by both its title and its Wikidata classification. Produced by Gerard van Honthorst in 1655, the work belongs to the genre of portraiture and is held in the Rijksmuseum. The canvas measures 116 cm in height by 93.5 cm in width and is executed in oil paint.
Beyond these cataloguing details, the sources do not specify which individual artist is portrayed, nor do they describe any iconographic attributes, attributes, objects, or symbolic elements that would identify the sitter or convey a particular meaning. The available documentation treats the work as a straightforward artist portrait without elaborating on its iconography, allegorical content, or representational significance.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1655, this portrait by Gerard van Honthorst is an oil painting on canvas. The work measures 116 cm in height and 93.5 cm in width. As a formal portrait, the composition focuses on the depiction of an artist, utilizing the medium of oil paint to render the subject.
The piece is classified within the genre of portraiture and is currently held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
History & Provenance
Portrait of an artist is an oil on canvas work by Gerard van Honthorst dated 1655. The painting is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it is currently located. The sources do not document earlier ownership, a commissioning patron, or any intervening provenance between its creation and its accession by the museum, nor do they describe the circumstances of its production beyond the artist, medium, and inception date.
Overview
Created in 1655, this oil painting by Gerard van Honthorst portrays a solitary figure identified as an artist. The sitter is rendered against a muted gray wall, holding a brush in his right hand and a palette with a miniature portrait in his left. A modest nude statue stands to the right, adding a subtle reference to classical art.
Context
During the mid‑17th century, van Honthorst was a central figure among Utrecht painters, alongside Hendrick ter Brugghen and Dirck van Baburen. His reputation for dramatized lighting and genre scenes made him a sought‑after portraitist. This painting reflects the period’s interest in depicting artists at work, aligning with broader Dutch cultural esteem for craftsmanship and intellectual pursuit.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Gerard "Gerrit" van Honthorst (4 November 1592 – 27 April 1656) was a Dutch Golden Age painter who became known for his depiction of artificially lit scenes, eventually receiving the Italian nickname Gherardo delle Notti ("Gerard of the…
The Triumph of the Winter Queen: Allegory of the Just
Een vrolijke vioolspeler
Frederik Hendrik (1584-1647), Prince of Orange, his wife Amalia van Solms (1602-75) and their three youngest daughters, Albertina Agnes (1634-96), Henrietta Catharina (1637-1708) and Maria (1642-88)
The Concert
Samson and Delilah
Satyr and Nymph
Young Woman with a Candlestick, Old Woman and a Violin Player
Willem II (1626-50), Prince of Orange, and his wife Maria Stuart (1631-60)
- Portrait of a man, thought to be Christoffel van Gangelt
Self-portrait
Portrait of a man with dark hair, probably Alphons Zeffiri
Self portrait
Portrait of a Gentleman (hand on hip)
Valentin Valleron de Perrochel
Man's portrait
Self-Portrait
Portrait of a Lawyer
Portrait of a man
Jean-Baptiste Colbert (1619–1683)
Self-portrait